This is a zine dedicated to black metal written by a follower of the left hand path, This zine has been around in a different format for a while and I have decided to make an edition for www.blogger.com, for more information email occultblackmetalzine@yahoo.com, new albums as well as classic albums will be reviewed on here as long as their good quality black metal,

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Precaria are a band from Mexico that plays a very raw and extreme form of black metal and this is a review of their 2014 album "Precaria Ex Humanitas" which was released by Desavenencia.

A very fast, raw and lo-fi black metal sound starts off the album along with some blast beats and a few seconds later grim screams are added into the music and you can also hear a decent amount of melody being used in the songs along with all of the tracks being very long and epic in length as well as the band bringing in a lot of 90's influences.

Melodic chanting can be heard in certain sections of the recording and when guitar solos and leads are utilized they bring in more of a chaotic feeling to the recording while they also have their melodic moments at times along with the screams getting more high pitched and the few seconds of acoustic guitars on some of the track add in some atmospheric elements.

There is a great mixture between slow, mid paced and fast parts present throughout the recording and as the album progresses the music gets more dark and desolate while also keeping a very raw and heavy sound along with the music also bringing in a touch of early 2000's black metal and when clean playing is added into one of the tracks they also bring in more of a depressive and grim feeling to the bands musical sound.

Precaria plays a very misanthropic style of black metal that is very raw and extreme as well as being very true to this genre and avoiding all modern trends to play black metal the way it is meant to play, the production is very dark, r aw and heavy while the lyrics are written in Spanish and cover Illumination Of Self, Occultism, hatred, Mankind's Misery and Chaos Beyond Order themes.

In my opinion Precaria are a very great sounding raw and extreme black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Esturpo a la Conciencia" and "Violencia Como Pan De Cada Dia". 8 out of 10.

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Exquisite Ending are a three piece black metal group from the United Kingdom. We seek to take the many diverse sides of the Black Metal genre, and seek to combine them into one darkened sound that emanates the influences of old while embracing the new. While conveying an introspective self-loathing catastrophe of melodic movement and unrelenting rawness, combined with occult and ritualistic ideologies of "Misanthropism".

2.You have a new ep coming out in 2015, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from your previous material?

"The Rite Of Misanthropism Psalms I-IV" is the first part of a long running conceptual work between us, based around the cult of "Misanthropism" which we practice.
It is a hate filled record, and 'audible tome' if you like to our misanthropic practices. They are the hymns of which we preach, towards the hatred of ourselves and mankind as a whole.

It differs significantly from "The Pain Of Passing I embrace" (our first record) as that album focuses much more deeply on self hated, suicide and depression. While "The Rite Of Misanthropism" is entirely extroverted hated, and a true awakening to the worthlessness of humanity.

Our music is equally as important as our message, we take great lengths to cultivate and refine our sound. We wish to take inspiration from the black metal groups that came before, but rather then imitate, we seek to add our own alterations. We are versed in musical theory, and use that to create our calculated dissonance and tension, coupled with technical ability in order to better convey this dark message we have set out to broadcast.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Our lyrical themes all stem from hatred, depression and isolation. However from our first record we have evolved, and the Misanthropism took hold of us, and now that hatred is turned outwards towards civilisation, and occult and ritualistic practices.

4.On the album cover you had quite a few occult symbols, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

As I have said, we are creating the foundations for the cult of "Misanthropism", which is a paradoxical religion that preaches the hatred and eradication of mankind. Like most religions we take influence from others, Thelema, Satanism, Solomon's works, while all being inherently human, and flawed, have important aspects that we wished to incorporate into Misanthropism.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name "Exquisite Ending'?

The name, like the band, has evolved. It began as a relishing in ones own demise, a beauty found in suicide. However it now has taken on a new form, in the appreciation of death as a whole, how Exquisite the Ending of ones life can be, be it our own or others. Because we will all return to the void eventually, and that will truly be exquisite.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Every performance is valuable, because it gains experience for us. And we are able to preach to a new group of people. The most recent show we undertook with Black Shoals in Worthing was extremely rewarding for us, as we had the pleasure to witness a very talented group and be able to express our creativity and message to a lot of willing people.

We wish our stage show to be striking, we have an old television playing clips that I have selected from various films/documentaries/snuff/etc. In an attempt to open up the audiences aural and visual pathways to achieve a higher understanding of the complete worthlessness and emptiness that is felt by all.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

For shows we have a few big ones coming up; Eradication festival in April, Sermon of Underground Brutality in October. As well as other shows we cannot sadly announce yet. In terms of tours we have a few potential plans on the horizon, but nothing has been planned as of yet.

8.A few months back you where a part of a split with Written In Torment, what are your thoughts on the other band that had participated on the album?

We admire the creative works of Written In Torment. It was good to collaborate on a release with him, and feedback on the various artwork ideas.

9.The band is signed to Hibernacula Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Hibernacula Records is a UK record label run by Danny Page. They wish to be a dwelling for artists to create and grow, as opposed to a harsh corporate system. They don't deal in contracts, and practice complete transparency with their artists. We find the label works well for us because they are artists themselves, and understand both the creative and business sides needed to help musicians grow. While the bands grow, the label grows, and visa versa, We're all together for the same common goal.

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?

We have had positive feedback from the UK black metal scene, being that its our place of residence, we have also had a lot of positive praise from a black metal collective in Russia, Indonesia, and of course the Norwegian masters.

11.Are any of the band members involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

We are involved in other projects, however as to why we have chosen to go by other names, we also wish to not let those projects be judged unfairly or out of context with Exquisite Ending.

12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Darker, more complex, potentially more avant garde. We wish to let the void grip us, and we mould it to whatever shape we wish.

13.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I cannot speak for the others, but personally I listen to a large variety of music. In terms of black metal bands I have listened to the obvious choices. But I also indulge in the more outlandish bands. Urfaust, Acherontas, Satanic Warmaster, Taake, Blut Aus Nord, Shining etc.

In terms of other genres I indulge in, they are far too vast to list. I love jazz, classical music, the multitude of subgenres in metal music. Anything that has been created for a purpose.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?

Photography, particularly trees. I read very regularly, primarily occult literature, but also factual and fiction depending on where the mood takes me. Other then that I devote most of my life to music.

15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

We hope this has been informative to anyone seeking answers, and that they wish to explore our music and our message. We are all worthless, and in that we are equal. We hope you die exquisitely.

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Antares: we have released Code on CD format. I took all the effort tomake the artwork 100% linked to the album. Each song has a special sigil created from key words, to match it's meaning. There are some more
surprises to discover, but I'll leave that to the purchaser.

2.In October you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

A: The sound is just our own patented mixture of things we like. The best thing you can do, is try to create a record which you yourself would like to hear, but doesn't exist. You try to fill sort of a gap, so to speak. The more different stuff you listen to, the more original this mixture will be. How good you mix all the elements is key. This new record isn't that much different from the first two Eps at it's musicalroots. All the basic ideas were already there, we just expanded them.
Previously, especially on the first Ep, I was trying to limit some of our music so it could fit a raw particular style. This time there weren't any limits. We just pushed ourselves and our abilities to write and play. Some of the songs went a long way to their final version, since we started writing for this album in 2009. Almost all the songs from the Magnum Coeptum compilation were finished by 2008, maybe except the lyrics part. So we had a lot of time to focus on the new material.
This was way back, when Erthun was still our rhythm guitarist. As for the production and mixing, me and Mjolnir took things in our own hands.
After all the work we have done, I can't imagine any other way of producing records. It would be impossible using a hired stuido. We would be fucking broke. I walked in at 5pm on friday, and walked out saturday
7 am. Listened to the mix a couple of times on the way home, sleep for 3 hour, return for our rehearsal, then mix again. We were going ape shit to make the album sound exactly the way we wanted. At one point we just decided that we hit a wall when it comes to our possibilites with producing the album, and we decided it was time to unleash it into the world.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

A: The album is continuing the story started by the first two Eps. A man finds himself at a turning point in his life, which leads him into isolation. This isolation results in a delusional state, where he can't quite distinguish fiction from reality, and enters an altered state of mind. Ars Sathanae I and II were about insanity, depression and maltheism, rejecting everything that could be described as a life in daylight. It marked the beginning of a search for forces and powers beyond this realm. Imagine you have two parallel streams of your own
self. Something happens, and your second self leaves somewhere. Then it returns, and you have to rebuild your own world with all the new knowledge the process brought. That's where Code comes in. It's the
Coagula part. It's also very personal for me in that it's linked with how I was writing our album.

4.On your past releases you had covered some satanic and anti christian themes, do any of the band members still have any interest in those topics?

A: That's actually a really interesting and important question. All that satanic and anti christian stuff was good in the beginning, but it's something you have to process into something more. You can't keep negating something over and over without progressing, evolving. Negation is not a goal in itself, it's a tool for moving forward. The new record has nothing to do with demons or christianity, it covers an eniterily new level of problems. Once you cut yourself away from the herd, it's time to build your own temple, your own monolith. I consider this to be a much more important direction.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

A: In one word: ferocious. There were a lot of shows, especially here in Tricity area. We played the best ones when we traveled deeper into Poland though. Summer 2014 we played a small tour of 6 shows across the country to promote Code, one of them in Warsaw. That has to be the best one yet. I couldn't even say anything between songs, becuase the crowd was so fucking loud. We played as the main act. It was an amazing show.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

A: No tours planned at this moment. One release party for the physical release of Code, where we will play the album live in it's entirety.
We're not much of a touring band to be honest. Maybe it will change in the future.

7.The new album was self released, are you open to working with a label again in the future or do you prefer the DIY method?

A: We are only open to propositions if a label will still let us have full control of every single thing. And by that, I mean every single fucking thing. From the compositions, mixing and production, to the album artwork and control of the printing process. Everything has to be done right, no errors or mistakes allowed. We take our music extremely serious.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to the new album by fans of black metal?

A: I have heard only positive things about the album from people that were into all sorts of different genres, thrash/progressive/black metal.
Which is pretty amazing. The general feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far.

9.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

A: I'm still recording different solo stuff, which I don't plan releasing. Mjolnir is the guitarist in Cyanide Kiss, a band we made a whole tour with this summer. Vulpus plays in a band called Earthfall.
Check our website's band section for more details.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

A: That's a really difficult thing for me to foresee now. We are all really satisfied with Code. I can't say which direction we will take in the future. This is the first time since I founded Iubaris, when I don't have any idea or plans for further developing our music. When the time comes, I'll have to take all my new riffs, all the new riffs and beats the guys will send to me, and find a new formula. Then me and Mjolnir will have to sit and think about how we want to record everything. Music is a sort of alchemy for me, so I'll keep smithing that fucking metal till we'll a perfect alloy once again.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

A: I don't listen to 'regular' metal at all. 90% of it is too mechanical for me. Maybe except bands that really have their own flow and style, like Opeth for example. They had a big impact on this album. Some of the
other bands that had a heavy influence on Code, mainly in how we blended and mixed all the instruments together, were grunge bands from thenineties, like Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam. One of the amazing things
that I discovered, since I started using only open strings for all the main riffs and guitar parts in our music, was how classic rock guitar can easily blend with the black metal guitar style, and with folk.
Viking era Bathory was still a big influence, mainly for the sound.
Music wise not as much as for our first two Eps. Also the classic death metal Behemoth, from albums Zos Kia Cultus and Demigod, which was what got me into oriental scales. My personal guitar heroes are Billy
Howerdel and Lindsey Buckingham. You can hear a great A Perfect Circle inspiration on both clean and lead guitar on Code, mainly from their first album, Mer De Noms. There were a lot of vocal inspirations, too
many to count, though I still mark Quorthon and Fernando Ribeiro as the highest two on my list. Which again, isn't that black metal at all.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

A: Fishing. We are all maniacs of fishing.. just kidding. I'm involved with graphic design and writing lyrics, traveling, photography.
Also some of the more weirder topics, like spiritualism and occultism.
Mjolnir is interested in geocaching, hiking and road cycling. Vulpus likes classic pen and paper rpg games and martial arts. Hipnagog has similar interests to mine, besides that him and Vulpus are real party
animals.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band in the past year?

First of all, Hell Poemer is a black metal band from Ioannina, Northwest Greece. We have released 1 demo, 1 MCD, 1 split tape and a full-length CD.
Last year, we were focused on the promotion of our latest release with 2 live appearances, also the line-up changed once more with the departure of our longtime guitarist Neron. Nowadays, the line-up is: INFERNAL LORD: Vocals, synths, GRAGONITH: bass, KNAFOS :guitar, DARK ARCHON :drums and DEMONIOUS (Infected Blood, Obscene Evisceration) as session live guitarist.

2.A year ago you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Our latest release “Arcane mysteries of Dead Ancestors” can be described as an old-school melodic black metal album with minimalistic synths, primitive riffs and some epic atmospheres. Our previous MCD “worshipers of the apocryphal ages” released in 2010 was a typical sound of atmospheric Greek black metal with raw majestic influences and a little bit weak production, but it has good melodies. As for the first entitled demo of 2007, I would describe the music as a dedication to the early Greek scene of 90’s (Necromantia, Varathron, Rotting Christ), if you listen to it, the production reminds the dark atmospheres of the famous “storm studios”. Of course there is a Nordic touch everywhere in our music influenced by Dissection, Emperor and Old Man’s Child.

3.Your lyrics go very deep into Greek Paganism and Occultism, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

You are right, our lyrics are inspired by the occult aspects of Ancient Greek and Medieval religious practices that are connected to the fertility of nature, and the mysteries of the Underworld. Also, I would like to mention that Homeric and Orphic Necromancy as well as the ruins of the Archaic Oracles are the main lyrical concepts behind our latest releases. Finally, there is always a deep meaning behind our lyrics that is inspired by the darkest emotions of human soul.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name "Hell Poemer"?

The name “Hell Poemer” was an inspiration of the moment back in 2004 – 2005 by our first bassist Fivos who was a maniac with strategy games and dark magical card games. Of course as teenagers we were impressed by words like “hell” and to tell you the truth the figures of these cards were similar to some Bal Sagoth’s artworks, so it is a little bit funny if you consider this. During the years, the word’s meaning became metaphorical for us, however “Hell Poemer” is a nocturnal poet or musician who lives in his own dark World, disgusted by the rules of the sick societies and the mediocrity of modern human.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

During our existence as a band since 2005, we made 10 live shows with bands like Septic Flesh, Rotting Christ, Varathron, Twilight and some other great underground bands. Every show had its own atmosphere. Our stage performance is a normal live performance, nothing special or ritualistic apart from some background images and introductions.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future? Not yet.

7.The last album was released on Tenebrd Music, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Tenebrd music is a new French label that specializes in black metal. It was found by Noktu (Mortifera, Celestia, Drakkar productions) among others in 2013 with the goal to promote small underground bands. We sent a promo and the label was interested in releasing our album.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?

Generally, we get encouraging comments about our music. I believe that a big amount of typical black metal listeners can listen to our music, because it is a true effort from our heart. Of course there are always people who don’t like keyboards in black metal.

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part off?
We have been involved in some other bands the last few years, like Varg Order (black metal in the vein of darkthrone/Carpathian forest), Chaotic Symmetry (raw majestic black metal in the vein of Mayhem/emperor/Drudkh) and Crowdance (industrial –electro).

10.When can we expect new music and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We have just recorded the keyboards/guitars for two new songs that will be a part of an upcoming split in 2015. More infos coming soon.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We were always influenced by the Second wave of Greek and Scandinavian Black metal, along with some ambient influences. Our main inspirations are bands like: Dissection, Varathron, Rotting Christ, Summoning, In the Woods, Emperor, Limbonic art, Immortal, Sorcier des Glaces and many others. Nowadays we are listening to many kinds of metal (thrash,death,epic) and music generally like ambient, folk music (like Loreena Makennit, Daemonia Nymphe),Classical Music, Traditional music of Greece and post-rock.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thanks a lot for the interview! Infernal hails to Occult black metal zine and all supporters around the World! Support the Underground!
For more information about Hell Poemer:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hell-Poemer-Official/276164329161420?ref=hl

Friday, November 28, 2014

This is a review of another album from Melkor which continues the atmospheric black metal sound of his previous recordings with the album being self released in 2014 and called "Irrlicht".

A very dark and melodic sound starts off the album before adding in more of a heavier and atmospheric direction which also keeps the melody and after a minute grim screams are added onto the recording and when solos and leads are added into the music they bring in more of a modern atmospheric black metal sound.

A good amount of acoustic guitars can be heard throughout the recording and a good portion of the tracks are very long and epic in length and a good portion of the songs also bring in a small amount of folk influences and some of the tracks bring in more of a doom and post black metal feeling and most of the music sticks to more of a slow to mid paced direction and as the album progresses the music gets more epic.

Melkor continuing the atmospheric black metal sound of previous recordings while also adding in a post metal feeling and a doom metal element while the music remains true to his style while also expanding, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics are written in German and cover nature, solitude and grief.

In my opinion this is another great sounding album from Melkor and if you are a fan of atmospheric black metal, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Spiegalwand" "Pangaea" and "The Great Defender". 8 out of 10.

Melkor are a 1 man band from Germany that plays a very atmospheric form of black metal and this is a review of his self released 2009 album "Ferne".

A very dark and epic atmospheric synth starts off the album along with some raw and melodic riffing and leads a few seconds later which leads up to more of a black metal direction along with some grim screams and the songs also bring in a good balance between synths and heavy parts and after awhile the music starts to bring in a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

In the faster sections of the recording blast beats can be heard at times and there are also acoustic guitars being added into the music at times and there are also a few tracks that are very long and epic in length and the songs have more of a 90's European atmospheric black metal approach which also brings in more of a nature orientated feeling and at times you can progressive elements in the clean parts and there is also a brief instrumental before the music makes a return back to a heavy and atmospheric sound.

Melkor creates a style of black metal that is raw, atmospheric, progressive and melodic sounding as well as bringing in a great amount of 90's influences to create some very interesting, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics are written in German along with a couple tracks having English titles and cover nature themes.

In my opinion Melkor are a very great sounding atmospheric black metal project and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Winter" "Ferne" "Narben" and "The Sun Denies All Sleep". 8 out of 10.

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

We are an atmospheric black doom metal band from the US (Cincinnati, Ohio, area). We formed in the winter of 2013. It started off with Adam, Jason, and Gary playing around with some ideas and jamming together. I was the third one to join the band; I joined in late February 2014. Matt, was the last of us to join; he came in in late summer 2014.

2.Recently you have released a demo, how would you describe the musical sound that us presented on the recording?

The best way to describe our sound is: atmospheric, dark, and droning. We try to meld the atmosphere and melodies of doom metal with the raw aggression of black metal. Other than that, we leave it up to the listener to decide.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Our lyrics are heavily based on the occult, the left hand path, and metaphysical subject matter. We also delve into the dark side of human emotion; sorrow, despair, and the disdain for the world around us. Every song has a meaning and many are derived from personal experiences.

4.I know that the name 'Order Of Thelema' is related to Crowley, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the occult and Aliester Crowley?

Adam and Jason were reading quite a few books on the occult at the time that Order of Thelema was conceived. The content had a huge impact on the writing process and the inspiration just flowed from it. It made sense for us to run with it and continue to draw from the material. For Adam, Crowley has always been a major interest going back into his early teens. Crowley is kind of like the name everyone knows and at least for Adam, was his introduction into the occult. It started with Crowley and LaVey and went on from there. We are always on a quest for further knowledge related to the occult. Adam has quite the library of books and is always reading and finding new inspiration. The band is not focused strictly around Thelema; for instance, Adam is currently reading Peter Carroll’s “Liber Kaos” and he just finished Terence McKenna’s “Lectures on Alchemy.” McKenna, although not totally occult related, is also a huge influence on us as well. Pychonautics and altered states of minds are extremely interesting fields.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We haven’t played out live yet; as a group we decided that we were going to take things slow and really focus on writing quality songs before playing out. Listening back to early versions of the songs on our demo, there is a very noticeable difference, the songs changed considerably and for the better. We didn’t want to go out and play songs that we weren’t completely happy with, that wouldn’t have been fair to the fans. We are planning on starting our live rituals within the next few months.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Definitely! We have been offered spots in a couple metal festivals as well as quite a few shows around the country. Locally, here in Cincinnati, we have a very good metal scene with shows happening pretty frequently.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

We really haven’t put fourth the effort into finding a label just yet, but going forward we hope to work with a label for sure. We will probably hold off on contacting labels until we release the full length album though.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and doom metal?

It has been surprisingly great; better than we had expected so early on. The support has been amazing. We have been getting a lot of positive feedback through the underground worldwide and from different reviews.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We plan on having the new album available early into the New Year. Going forward, we plan to continue writing and producing new material. We definitely see ourselves touring in the future as well. We’ve always talked about vinyl; I would really like to see a 7” or maybe a full length vinyl release. We already have a lot of ideas for future releases, but right now our main focus is finishing the full length.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We all bring different musical influences to the table, but we try to keep them as influences only and not let too much of it spill over into our own music. Each member has such a wide taste in music; each of us is constantly discovering new bands and our musical libraries are always expanding. It’s hard to say what each member is listening to at any given point of time. Adam is into mostly black and doom metal and is currently listening to a lot of French Canadian bands such as, Sorcier des Glaces and Monarque. Gary is also really into doom and black metal; he’s currently been listening to My Dying Bride, Behemoth, and Twilight (US). Jason is a little more varied in his musical taste; he’s into atmospheric black metal such as, Drudkh and Agalloch, but he’s also into a lot of psychedelic rock and stoner doom. Matt and I are more varied with our musical tastes as well. For me, personally, if it’s atmospheric and dark then chances are that I’m listening to it.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

The occult, the left hand path, and the expansion of the mind. We are all explorers and always looking for things to expand our current knowledge. Ultimately, that knowledge will inspire us and come back around to the music.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thank you tremendously for the review and interview; we truly appreciate it. For anyone who might be interested, our demo is still available as a free download over at http://orderofthelema.bandcamp.com so go download it. Also, be on the lookout for our full length to be released within the next couple of months. Horns up! Stay true and stay underground! 93!

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Sedna is a three pieces black metal project born in 2009 in Cesena, Italy.
The sound is a mix of post black metal, sludge and doom metal with some ambient and drone parts that give at the results much more sense of perdition and immersion.
From furious blast-beats, passing through cadenced heavy parts, reaching soft and expanded clean parts, the band try to carry emotions and feelings to create music organic and alive.
We have released our first demo “O” in 2011 and our debut album in october 2014 via Drown Within Record (Ita) and Unquiet records (Pol).
From 2009 to now we’ve played a lot of gigs in Italy (with bands like Taake, Celeste, Forgotten Tomb and many more), this year we’ ve done our first euro tour in Austria and Czech Republic.

2.In October you released a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the demo you had released in 2011?

Our first release is very different from “Sedna” because we’ve changed our lineup. In 2011 we was four (with Eric at guitars), in 2013 he left so Nil is passed to play guitar and sing.
Changing the guitar player everything is turned from a blackned/swedish sound to a more modern direction with post black metal influences. The result is ”Sedna”, a mix of black metal/sludge/post and doom metal with some drone/ambient parts useful to increase the atmosphere and make everything more organic.

3.Can you tell us a little bit more about your song lyrics, I noticed most of the tracks on the album started out with the word "Sons', is there a certain type of concept the band went for on the new album?

Two years ago we was in a critical situation. Without a guitarist, without idea, without a certain future. We see ”Sedna” like a rebirth and a new point of zero. We see it like a gift from a divinity that say to us “Believe”. So, the concept of the album is about us like sons of a divinity (Sedna, in the inuit culture, is like a woman version of Poseidon) and at the same time like sons of a planet (Sedna is an extrasolar planet too). “Sons of the ocean” talk about our rebirth from a new mother, ”Sons of isolation” talk about our necessary loneliness to create our new form, ”Sons of the ancients” is like the end of the evolution, the take of conscience to be something strong. To be something alive.
We are started writing new stuff, but is too early to understand what the sound is meaning in this moment.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sedna'?
Ahah it’ s a cool story. In a normal evening five years ago, Mattia and Elyza were watching a documentary on Discovery Channel. It was talking about extrasolar planets, especially on Sedna. The history of the planet was immediately charming for various reason, but especially for one: the orbit. Sedna have a very strange orbit that move the planet after and before Pluto, so it’s an anomaly. Something that should not exist. Alone but at the same time alive. In the second time, been interesting the surface of the planet. It’s red, but very cold. That was our representation of our sound: warm and enveloper, but at the same time cold and remote.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We live the show experience in some different ways, so there are many nights that we like to remember. One of this was in october in Linz, during our euro tour with our friends Abaton. A very great place, with huge sound, a lot of people full of energy. Incredible. Next was when we been in Rome every time, in 2011 (with Taake, when we was four) and in october 2014 (with Forgotten Tomb and our new formation). Great city where do a gig because there was everything a lot of people interested to us the first and the second time too, in the next days we have received many positive feedback from new fans and it’s amazing for an underground band like us.
The last but the more particular was in september 2012 at “Urlo nero Fest” in Ferrara. It was very intense for us because the last gig with our old guitarist Eric. So, play with this kind of awareness gave to us a mix of melancholy and rage never proved before. We played a track with our friend Marco from Abaton too, so had two guitars (the first and last time for now ahah) gave much more expression to a show full of emotions.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

In this moment no, because we have chosen to write new stuff. For the new album we have already done an euro tour in october (Austria, Czech Republic, Italy) with our friends Abaton and others single shows in our country (in Rome with Forgotten Tomb and in Bologna with Dragged into Sunlight for example). Anyway we are confirmed ad the Santa Maria Summer fest in Portugal for next June.

7.The new album was released on Drown Within Records, how did you get in contact with this label and also how would you describe the support they have given you so far?
Drown Within Records is a DIY label based in Italy and managed by Cristian from the italian post/death metal band Dementia Senex. Cristian is our good friend from many years, he supports and helps us from the beginning, so knowing how he works we have chosen to trust in his label. His support is great because is based on friendship and support, so he is doing a great works giving us a good visibility in many countries.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal, sludge, and doom?

The feedback was great. We was a little scared because our sound is in the middle of many genres, is an hybrid of many sounds…not black metal, not sludge, not doom, but Sedna, so not easy to catalogue in an exact contest. At least we are proud of our works because we have received a lot of good reviews from many countries and from very different kind of site/webzine. It’s mean that’s our sound is good, no?

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We don’t know. In this moment our thought is to create new songs. We don’t have a long vision about our future, we only think to play and spread our emotions. More black metal? More sludge or post metal? Only the future can know the answers. Off course we dream to become a point of reference for people like Altar of Plagues or Amenra for us.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We try to listen many kind of music as we can, from dark-ambient to Death metal. Everyone of us comes from different school of music (Elyza has a base of old school black metal and industrial music like Immortal or Rammstein, Mattia bands like Dark Funeral or Gojira, Alex some drone/ambient music for example), but growing together we have uncovered some bands commons to our preferences: Altar of Plagues (over all and everyone), Isis, Amenra, Deathspell Omega, Neurosis, Omega Massif, Ulcerate, Lento.. and many more out of metal (Borhen & Der Club of Gore, SunnO))), and Pink Floyd for example )

11.Does Occultism play any role in your music?

Nope.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Astronomy, science, film, history and everything that can be interesting in every way. We like to have party, but at the same time we trip through woods to take pictures and do excursions on mountain.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Keep supporting the underground music, go to the concerts and help the bands to spread the music..!"

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Cold Crypt are a 1 man band from the United Kingdom that has been featured before in this zine and plays ambient form of black metal and this is a review of his 2014 album "Utter Contempt For Life" which was released by Senseless Life Records.

A very dark and atmospheric ambient sound starts off the album along with some sounds of a newborn child and after a minute spoken word samples which are also used regularly throughout the recording are added into the music before the album starts getting a lot more heavier and brings in a raw black metal sound that also uses grim suicidal screams and blast beats.

There is a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts present throughout the recording and the ambient sounds are also mix in with the heavier black metal parts and a good portion of the tracks are very long and epic in length, some of the tracks bring in some industrial style noises and mix in with some of the rawest black metal that there is in existence.

When solos and leads are utilized they add a good amount of talent and skill to the tracks they are utilized on and a good amount of the songs also bring in depressive sounding melodies at times and as the album progresses more power electronic and underground electronic elements are brought onto the recording which also leads to the album getting more avant garde and experimental while the music also keeps it's black metal roots and brings in even more demonic growls.

Cold Crypt keeps the atmospheric and depressive ambient black metal sound while also being more experimental this time around, the production sounds very dark and raw while th e lyrics cover hate, madness, suicide and murder.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Cold Crypt and if you are a fan of the depressive, ambient and experimental black metal genres, you should enjoy this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Born To Abhor" "Purest Negative Thoughts" "Ugly Passion" and "Farewell TO Innocence". 8 out of 10.

Unsacred are a band from Virginia that plays a mixture of raw black metal and crust punk and this is a review of their 2014 album "False Light" which will be released in December by Forcefield Records.

A very distorted sound along with some high pitched black metal screams start off the album before going into a very fast and raw direction along with some brutal blast beats and the energy of crust punk while you can also hear some technical parts in their musical sound along with some melodies and a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

You can hear a lot of modern Scandinavian influences in the bands musical style along with a decent amount of d-beats and all of the songs remain true to a very fast, heavy, raw and brutal direction throughout the recording and there is never a soft or weak moment to be found anywhere in the tracks and as the album progresses the bass guitars bring in more of a powerful sound.

Unsacred plays a very fast and extreme style that combines some of the rawest and most talented black metal with crust punk to create a sound of their own and this is probably one of the heaviest US black metal records to be released in a long time, the production sounds very raw yet brutal and dark at the same time while the lyrics cover dark and philosophical themes.

In my opinion Unsacred are a very great sounding raw and brutal mixture of black metal and crust punk and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "False Light" "Erode" and "Cage". 8/5 out of 10.

Exquisite Ending are a band from the United Kingdom that plays a very raw and misanthropic form of black metal and this is a review of their ep "The Rites Of Misanthropism Psalms I to IV" which will be released by Hibernacula Records.

Atmospheric sounds which also have an ambient feeling to them start off the ep along with some spoken word parts and after a minute the music goes into a very fast and raw black metal direction along with some blast beats and grim screams and after awhile the band starts to bring a good amount of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

At times the riffs bring out a decent amount of melody and you can hear a lot of hate being utilized in the vocals and the spoken word parts also make a return on a couple of the tracks and they also mix some technical parts into a very raw black metal sound at time which also makes their music stand out even more.

Exquisite Ending plays a style of black metal that is very raw and misanthropic capturing a lot of the old school sound while also mixing in some of the more modern technical sound as well as keeping everything in a very true and pure style of black metal, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics cover misanthropic and occultism themes.

In my opinion Exquisite Ending are a very great sounding raw and misanthropic black metal b and and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Ostracism Of Tormenting Morality" and "We Perish As one Vessle". 8 out of 10.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Hell Poemer are a band from Greece that plays a very atmospheric, raw and melodic form of t black metal and this is a review of their 2013 album "Arcane Mysteries Of Dead Ancestors" which was released by Tenebird Music.

A very dark and ritualistic sound starts off the album before going into a very fast and melodic black metal direction that also incorporates a good amount of blast beats and grim screams and the music also brings in very epic and atmospheric sounding synths in certain sections of the recording which also have an ambient influence to them and the band also brings in a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

All of the musical instruments on the recording have a very powerful sound to them and when solos and leads are added into the music they continue the melodic sound this band focuses on a great amount and there are also some spoken word parts being utilized at times and a good portion of the tracks are very long and epic in length and you can also hear war samples being added into some of the tracks.

When clean parts are added into the music they bring in a very medieval pagan folk music feeling while the main focus remains on an epic black metal sound and some of the tracks also bring in nature sounds and a tragic feeling coming out of the synths and as the album progresses the vocals also start getting deeper on some of the tracks and bring in more of a death metal feeling to the songs they are utilized on.

Hell Poemer plays a style of black metal that is very fast, raw, melodic, atmospheric and epic sounding and they also bring in a great amount of talent and skill on the musical instruments, the production has a very raw, heavy and powerful sound to it while the lyrics cover The Dark Side Of Nature, Ancient Pride, Philosophy and Greek Paganism themes.

In my opinion Hell Poemer are a very great sounding raw, melodic, atmospheric and epic black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Temple of the Appollonian Wisdom" "Triumphant battle In Hyperion's Winter" and "When Ichor Calls For War". 8/5 out of 10.

Ctulu are a band from Germany that plays a very fast, raw and melodic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2011 album "Sarkomand" which will be re-issued in December on vinyl as a joint effort between Black Blood Records and Human TO Dust.

A very fast, raw and melodic old school black metal sound starts off the album along with some blast beats and all of the musical instruments having a very powerful sound and when vocals are added into the music they are grim sounding screams and after awhile the music starts bringing in a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

At times you can hear some ritualistic and nature sounds being added into certain sections of the recording along with some old school melodies that bring a NWOBHM to the album and after awhile you can hear a small amount of chants in some of the tracks along with a few tracks that are long and epic in length.

When acoustic guitars and melodic vocals are utilized they give the music more of an atmospheric feeling and you can also hear death metal growls being utilized at times along with some of the riffing also bringing in element s of that genre and a good portion of the bands musical style seems to be very heavily influenced by the 90's Swedish black metal bands while some of the tracks also bring in a thrash feeling to the riffs and on the last track keyboards are added into t he music while the song also still brings in heavy parts.

Ctulu plays a Swedish style of black metal that is very old school, raw and melodic and also incorporates some death metal influences which also gives the album more of an update blackened death metal feeling, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics are written in German and cover Lovecraft and Nightmare themes.

In my opinion Ctulu are a very great sounding fast, raw and melodic black metal and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Arckanum Der Tiefen" "Traumturm" and "Mondsucht". 8 out of 10.

Inchiuvatu are a band from Italy that plays an acoustic form black metal with elements of folk music and this is a review of their 2014 ep "Via Matris" which was released by Inch Productions.

Acoustic guitars and folk instruments start off the ep giving the recording a medieval pagan feeling and after a minute melodic clean singing vocals are added into the music which also evolve into grim black metal screams and they also add fast drumming into the folk music parts at times and after awhile the acoustic guitars also start getting more aggressive with the black metal style vocals.

The keyboards have a very tragic feeling to them at times and on some of the later tracks the acoustic guitars start utilizing raw tremolo picking while they still keep around the folk music influence and some of the alter songs also sees the music using a brief use of spoken word parts along with some psychedelic elements and a couple of the tracks are long and epic in length and on the last track the vocals start bringing in demonic growls.

On this ep Inchiuvati creates a very grim style of black metal that is done with acoustic guitars which also have the fast picking of regular black metal at times and they also add in folk music to their music sound more original, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics are written in Sicilian and cover anti Christianity, sex and drama themes.

In my opinion Inchiuvatu are a very great sounding acoustic black metal band with folk music influences and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "In Utero" "Trafitta" and "Santa Balata". 8 out of 10.

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Goatchrist is a mouthpiece for a range of diverse (yet related) thematic topics. We aim to build upon what is often described as 'the true essence of black metal' with magickal lyrical formulas and influences from other genres of music; thus far, I'm content with our progression towards this goal.
Goatchrist was 'formed' this year (2014) as a solo project by myself. This came after my brief time as an auditioning guitarist for Sathamel, a similar band to my own, which is comprised of some friends of mine. At the time, my skill with the guitar and attitude towards the music did not match their requirements, so I was declined the role; however, I'd already commenced writing material for them. These songs (both parts of Bloodletting, The Four Horsemen and Catacombs) were recorded alongside two other, older tracks (The Scrying Mirror and Inferno, then called 'Crushing Your Essence Under Fire and Brimstone') which were re-recorded and released under the Goatchrist name.
Shortly afterwards, I decided to turn the band into a live project, and recruited Kaahl (ex-Slaughter Throne) and Aamon-Vetis to complete the lineup.

2.So far you have released 2 demos this years, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both recordings and also how do they differ from each other?
The 'Legion' demo is a recording from 2013 created whilst I was under the spell of Xasthur, Leviathan and other excellent USBM bands. It had been sat on an old computer of mine until months after the first demo was released, and upon re-listening to my old recordings, I decided they were a sufficiently polished insight into my musical roots to release.
She Who Holds the Scrying Mirror differs greatly from this. The sound and production, though still raw, is more polished and certainly more fitting for the style of music. Whereas Legion is an attempt to recreate a specific sound, The Scrying Mirror is an exploration into my own sounds and ideas.

3.Your lyrics cover some Luciferian and Occult themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
I don't think there exists a single black metal fanatic that, at some point, has not identified as an adept or follower of some form of Sinister philosophy. My own path began in a very juvenile manner, with the label of 'Satanist' used for shock value alone. However, my interest in chaos magick began after the influence of my friend [Ryan Fleming, from Solitude Forest]. The Order of the Nine Angles, a belief system that mirrors the basic principles of chaos in its core values, soon became a useful tool to develop my beliefs.
The Luciferian imagery in the first demo comes as a result of my disdain towards other bands that promote "chaos" by presenting it in a dogmatic format, which I find absurd [it is for this reason that I despise groups like the Misanthropic Luciferian Order, who preach about Abrahamic rituals and Jewish dragons and expect to be taken seriously].
It should be noted that my own personal beliefs are more akin to Thelema and the ancient religion of Sumer, far more so than any type of 'Satanism'.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Goatchrist'?
The goat is the independent warrior; the sheep is the mindless follower. Thus, the 'Goatchrist' is the warrior-king, a prophet who declines to keep any followers or worshippers and instead teaches the strong to become stronger, and in time, banishes the weak.

5.Are there any plans to do any live shows with this band or is this strictly a studio project?
We have a gig booked for February 20th at the Fenton in Leeds, supporting Sodomized Cadaver. As of now, the band is a live project.

6.Recently SixSixSix Music re-issued your first demo, are there any plans to also re-issue the second demo?
No. There'd be no reason to; it's available already for free to those who desire to trace our/my musical roots.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
Fantastic, actually. We've had several excellent reviews of the Scrying Mirror demo and one good review of Legion. It seems that our music appeals to both the 'kvlt'-type black metaller and the brutal death metaller alike.

8.What is going on with some of your other bands or musical projects these days?
Kierkegaard, my ambient project, is taking a break from recording until the new year. Mors Voluntaria, my personal outlet for a different kind of message, is in the process of recording its first album [I've already recorded all guitars, and B. is in the process of recording drums and his own guitar parts].

9.Where do you see yourself heading into musically during the future?
A far more melodic and faster sound. Previews of the new songs have already been sent around a few of my close inner circle of friends. I think we'll stay with SixSixSix too, as they've done a truly excellent job of promoting the release and, for now, are the perfect label to work with.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Good black metal is my only direct influence for this project; the rest of the sound is my own ideas and experimentation. I'd say Leviathan is a definite influence, as are Absu, Destroyer 666 and Melechesh. Other than that, I don't really listen to much metal, and some of my preferred artists and bands include the Grateful Dead, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Shining (from Norway; Niklas Kvarforth isn't my cup of tea in the slightest), ELO, the Eagles, the Who, etc.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Reading philosophy and mathematics, and also experimenting with psychedelic/hallucinogenic substances in order to delve deeper into the acausal plane of unused universal energy (the 'spirit world' to the lay man). That's pretty much all I have time to do, and juggling those with the music can be a challenge at times, though all three of these activities enhance my musical skill in rather abstract ways.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Respect to all individuals who've supported our cause thus far. Agios O Noctulis!

Monday, November 24, 2014

Hecate are a duo from Egypt that plays an atmospheric and old school mixture of black and death metal and this is a review of their 2014 album which was released by Winterwolf Records.

An ambient style synth starts off the album and also gives the music a horror movie and epic feeling as well as bringing in heavy guitars and after t he intro the music starts going into more of a raw, fast and melodic black metal direction along with some blast beats and high [itched screams before bringing in a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

At times the vocals can be very grim in sound and they also bring in death metal growls in certain sections of the recording and when solos and leads are added into the music they also bring in more of a melodic and atmospheric sound and on some of the tracks there are also bits and pieces of clean playing and acoustic guitars being added into some of the songs.

A couple of the tracks are long and epic in length and also bring in a small amount of synths which also gives their music and atmospheric 90's black metal feeling when t hey are utilized and some of the heavier riffing also brings in more of a blackened death metal feeling at times while the main focus is more on a traditional black metal style and towards the edn a brief use of spoken word parts are added onto one of the tracks.

Heacate takes the raw, melodic and atmospheric sides of 90's black metal and combines them with a more modern blackened death metal sound to create their own style, the production sound s very dark, heavy and powerful for being a self released recording while the lyrics cover darkness, occultism, war and anti christian themes.

In my opinion Hecate are a very great sounding raw, atmospheric and melodic mixture of black and death metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "When Eternity Dwells In Frost" "The Order of the Black Light" and "Signs Of Horns". 8 out of 10.

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the musical project since the recording and release of the new album?

Just promoting really, and doing interviews like this one. Witchclan is obviously not a touring band so that's what makes it different really. Any normal band would be touring at this point but for me, apart from the promoting, this time is pretty much all reflection time. When an new album is released, you get to hear all the comments from other people and different non-biased reviews all with something different to say. I spent months listening to the new album when it was being mixed and produced so I've heard it hundreds of times already and to be able to have fresh ears listen to it and hear it in a totally new and different light to the one I was hearing is a great thing and long overdue.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The music contained on the new album, for all intensive purposes, is Black Metal. However, it does go deeper than that really - from a song writers perspective anyway. I'm influenced by a lot of different stuff - from 80's thrash metal, doom metal, death metal, traditional heavy metal, punk and of course black metal. I think that a lot of those genres and styles can be heard across the whole album, it all blends together to make what I like to call Bestial Hell Metal. As for how it differs from the last album, I suppose you can just say it's a natural progression and improved song writing. The general feel of the new album 'The Dark Binding' is as dark, if not darker than the last one and I feel that it reeks of atmosphere, more so than 'Misanthropist'.

3.Your lyrics over the years have covered Satanism, Necronomicon, occultism and Anti Religion topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

I've always been very interested in the Occult. It's a fascinating subject, and one that excites and feeds the imagination. The majority of the lyrics on the new album are occult based, although a couple of them are just generally anti-religious. I do strongly dislike religion. It's the root of all evil and is the reason that the world is in such a bad state. I cannot believe that in 2014, the majority of the human race are still worshiping false gods, and limiting themselves physically and mentally. Religion controls you - and religion is controlled by the governments. So your government is controlling you and telling you how to live your life. All my lyrics are saying is to fight back and take control of your own life.

4.The band is considered one of the first second wave black metal groups in the United Kingdom, do you feel that you have been a huge influence on some of the later bands that have came out of the country?

Witchclan IS the first. The band formed in 1990, and the only other bands who came afterwards was Dead Christ in 1991, and then Thus Defiled and Xaztur in 1992. Witchclan was the first, although I didn't actually join the band until 1993. As for being an influence, I really wouldn't know. Back in the early 90's the band was relatively unknown and to be fair, still is. It's all about having an underground following as far as I'm concerned. I have my dedicated fan base, and I'm happy with that. I'm just making the music I want to make, if other people like it and if bands get influenced then that's cool but that's not why I do Witchclan.

5.The band was broken up for a long time, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform the project?

Yes, the band split up half way through 1995. The reasons behind it aren't very exciting I'm afraid. It's the same old story - musical differences and dedication issues. We were all very young at the time, so some of us took it more seriously than others and certain members were more into other genres and so ultimately, Witchclan had to split up and go separate ways. One of the guitarists and I practiced with a couple of different drummers but nothing worked out so in the Summer of '95 we called it quits. Witchclan stayed dead and buried for 17 years until I resurrected it in 2009 as a solo project. At this point, I was ready to do something in the music industry again but I was indecisive over what the band should be and what name it should have so it was my wife who suggested that I reform Witchclan - the rest, as they say - is history.

6.The band in the beginning went through a lot of name changes, what was the cause of that and also what is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Witchclan'?

The name changes all happened between 1990 and 1992. It started out as Crypt, then changed to Curse and then finally to Hellgrind before they settled on Witchclan in 1992. There was a demo recorded under the name Hellgrind but I've never personally heard it.
The name Witchclan stems back to Newcastle, UK in 1992. The founding members Peter Leathley and Sharad Anand were at school at the time and there was a group of skank girls who looked like witches and were known as the clan. They both hated them so they decided to call the band Witchclan as a way to poke fun at them. The name of course also represents a group of witches.

7.Currently the band is a solo project, are you open to working with a full band again in the future or do you chose to remain solo?

I will never work with a full band again. It was very hard with other people in the band. There were times where someone wouldn't turn up to rehearsal - and if that was the drummer for example, that would obviously prove to be most unsatisfactory when you're trying to practice songs. There was also, as I mentioned before, the matter of other members having different musical inputs and not agreeing with the direction of the band, and so on.
Being a solo project suits me perfectly. I get to do things at my own pace, there's nobody to argue with or have musical disagreements with. I get to have 100% creativity and do exactly as I please, so the end product is entirely my creation. I like it this way. I am a complete control freak and if things aren't going the exact way I want them to go then things can get fucked up.

8.When you had a full line up did Witchclan ever do any shows, if so how would you describe the stage performance and also what where some of the best shows that you have played?

No. We never played live. To begin with, when I joined the band in 1993 it was already difficult to rehearse because I lived on the south coast of England and they lived right in the middle of the country so even travelling there would have taken hours. They recorded the music in Newcastle and then I added the vocals here in East Sussex. It was a strange set up but it worked nicely for about a year and a half until they left the band.
The replacements I found were local, but we only ever rehearsed. I guess at the time I didn't think we were good enough to play live. We were all very young and really not completely competent with our instruments. The two demos recorded during 1993 are very messy - and then there was an unreleased demo from 1995 which was recorded on a 4-track but the guy we borrowed it off only gave us about 30 mins to record everything so there were so many mistakes and it sounded terrible. Playing live just wasn't really an option at that time, and nowadays of course it could never happen being that I'm the only member and I would never want to use session musicians.

9.The new album was released on Elvester Records, how would you describe the support they have given you so far?

Elvester Records have released it on vinyl and CD, I have also stayed with Darkness Shade Records who have released it on tape as well. Elvester have been absolutely fantastic. The label is run by Erik Epperson who plays in the U.S black metal band Locust Fork. He's been extremely supportive from start to finish and also very patient. I'm a father of two, and I also hold down a full time job which I travel two hours per day to get to so all those factors mean that I can be slow at responding to things the label have asked me to do such as sending out promos and so on. So Erik has been very understanding and patient with me which has really helped out. He also co-produced the album so all in all, he's put a massive amount of time into this record, not to mention a massive investment.
Paul from Darkness Shade Records has also been very cool. I've been signed with Paul since he released the last album Misanthropist back in 2011 and he's always been very supportive and always met the needs of the band.

10.Over the years how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?

Very favorable. You get crap reviews, you get great reviews - it's all just opinions and on the grand scale of things, opinions are just people's personal thoughts that they choose to share so I don't really take it all that seriously because what one person thinks is amazing, the next person might think it's crap. I'd say about 90% of the reviews I've seen have been very good - the other 10% not so great. But, and I've always said this - I make music that I would like to listen to, the way I want to make it. I try to create albums that I personally would want to own and if other people also like it then that's just an added bonus. I love music, I love creating it - so if I get some praise for doing what I enjoy doing then that's okay with me.

11.This is the first album to be released in 3 years, can you give us an update on what was going on during that time frame?

Just working with my other band Deadman's Blood, and a lot was going on in my personal life too. My daughter was born in 2012 and then earlier this year my son was born. I recorded and released 'Product of a Deranged Mind' by Deadman's Blood between this time so you can see I haven't been slacking, I'm always busy with something. I'm currently on a break from writing though, at the moment I'm just promoting for Witchclan, doing interviews and stuff so I will most likely begin recording the new Deadman's Blood material in Spring of 2015.

12.What is going on with your death metal project 'Deadman's Blood' these days?

I work by bands on a rota - I work on one new release for one band and then get that released, then I have a break of a few months and then get onto recording the next release for the other band. I recorded and released 'Product of a Deranged Mind' back in 2012 which went down with people really well and is completely sold out now. I'll be beginning writing and recording the first full-length for the band next year but I would like to get it released on a label rather than self-funding it, which I find to be a real pain in the ass. I'd much rather get it out through a label and relieve some of the stress and pressure from me. We'll see what happens, I am still yet to record it so I'm jumping the gun a bit at this stage.

13.Where do you see yourself heading in the future, musically?

Well Witchclan and Deadman's Blood are both here to stay, there's no doubt about that. I have no desire to change the framework for either of those two projects, so they will always be extreme metal bands. I would however, like very much to venture into more experimental genres with some kind of new project. It's all just thoughts in my head at the moment but I listen to lots of different styles of music, and in order to keep my current bands pure to what they're meant to be, I need another outlet so that nothing else bleeds into those bands, even on a subconsciously influential level. It's important to me that Deadman's Blood is always 100% rotten old death metal and that Witchclan is always black metal, so another project might have to creep in at some point.

14.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Well in the very early days of the band it was a very 80's influenced sound. Imagine Slayer met up with Possessed and got drunk. Then on the way home they ran into Bathory, took some acid and ended up back at Venom's house and all had a jam together. So it was a mixture of those bands, but not played very well.
These days, there are so many bands who have an influence but I suppose the main ones that I owe it to would be Bathory, Burzum, Darkthone and Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult.
As for what I'm listening to at the moment. Well each week is different for me. I have the privilege of being able to listen to music all day long at work so I tend to get about 7 hours of music per day usually. I have ripped about 50% of my music collection to MP3 so this is what I listen to at work - then when I'm at home it's the vinyl and tapes which come out. Over the past couple of weeks, my listening has been pretty varied - Intense Degree, Electro Hippies, Pentagram, Beastcraft, G.G.F.H, Godflesh, Scorn. To be honest, it's been a very mixed bunch as you can see.

15.What are some of your non musical interests?

I love film. I watch several films a week and I try to get out to the pictures with my wife as often as we can. Horror movies are mainly my bag, although I do like Sci-fi and Action Thriller stuff too. So I collect movies, mainly on VHS - and mainly stuff from the 70's and 80's which were my favorite eras. I also collect other stuff like skateboards, stickers and all sorts of weird and wonderful things so I'm always kept busy hunting things down.
As I've mentioned, I'm a husband and I'm a father of two, so most of my spare time is spent with them. My family life is very important to me and if the music all went away tomorrow I would still have my wife and kids so I'd be alright!

16.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Firstly, thanks to you for this cool interview and thanks to all the people who have so far bought the new album. If you haven't bought it and would like to know more about me and my bands, please go to the following websites -

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Orthank are a band from Russia that plays a very raw and atmospheric form of pagan/black metal and this is a review of their 2014 cassette "Rotting World" which was released by Wohrt Records.

A very dark, melodic and atmospheric sound starts off the album along with some pagan chanting which are also brought back on the last track before adding in grim screams and synths in the background and on the other tracks the music starts to speed up a bit and brings in more of a raw and old school sound along with a good amount of blast beats.

There is a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts present throughout the recording and the music sticks to a 90's style of pagan/black metal and after awhile the bass guitars get more powerful sounding and the band also brings in a brief use of guitar leads on a few tracks while some of the other songs show the vocals adding in a good mixture of both deep and high pitched screams.

Orthank plays a style of pagan/black metal that is very raw and also captures the 90's style perfectly, the production sound s very dark, raw and old school while the lyrics cover Paganism themes.

In my opinion Orthank are a very great sounding raw pagan/black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this cassette. RECOMMENDED TRACKS "II" "V" and "VII". 8 out of 10.